Finding the perfect ally to help you sell your home

"The real estate market is tough now because there's a glut of inventory," said Lattas.

The more complicated the sale, the more legal pitfalls. Especially to sellers who sign on with rental agents, Lattas has two words: "Lawyer up."

"What happens if that company is not around in a few years?" he said. "Then you have two mortgages, you fall behind on payments, your credit score goes down, and you have a tenant who won't leave. In the end, you're still the landlord and you're still responsible for property upkeep and real estate taxes."

Beware of homeowners associations changing covenants.

"Some boards are no longer allowing rentals because they don't want their buildings to turn into frat houses," said Lattas. "Others are now allowing rentals because they'd rather have renters than empty homes. That means the buyers may not be able to get loans because lenders look at the percentage of rentals in the building."

If all else fails, try EcoJoe. Unlike the plastic statue of St. Joseph planted upside down in the yard of a home for sale, EcoJoe is made of a natural material: clay.

"Chicago is our top market," said EcoJoe creator Cindy Lin, a San Francisco-based home stager. "Realtors buy them by the case."

Most important to nonbelievers are the home-selling tips that Lin includes with EcoJoe.

"Emotionally detach yourself from the home," she said. "If you're trying to sell it, look at it as a product, not as your home."

The seller may not like today's deflated prices, but every home "will sell at some price," Powell said.